Thirty-two percent of all births in the United States now occur by Caesarean section (C-section). Reasons given for the rise in numbers include the increased use of drugs to induce labor, the tendency to give up on labor too soon and deliver babies surgically instead of waiting for nature to take its course, and the failure to allow women with previous Caesareans to try to give birth vaginally. The operations have become the most common surgeries in American hospitals. Caesareans pose a risk of surgical complications, and research has found that they are more likely than normal births to cause problems that can put the mother back in the hospital and the infant in intensive care. The increased number of C-sections and the accompanying risks has caused great debate and concern. Let's hope that hospitals aren't using women's bodies this way to save money and generate revenue.
Read more at The New York Times.